Nprc lost Records Update 05 ► 3K to 5k restored Weekly
Yüklə 387,46 Kb.
|
- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Vet Fraud Abuse ► Reported 16 thru 30 APR 2017
- Dian Zeemin and Joseph Rosko
- State Veterans Benefits Discounts ► Texas 2018
- Vet State Benefits Discounts – TX”
- Vet Residential Care ► H.R.5397 | Allow VA To Pay Vice Vet
- Transition Assistance Program Update 05 ► H.R.5553 | Requires DoD Action Plan
- Commissary Authorized Users ► H.R.5397 | Expand Eligibility
- VA VRE Program Update 02 ► H.R.5538 | Benefit Eligibility Revision
- VA Hiring Update 12 ► H.R.5521 |
- Military Retirement System Update 29 ► Will It Entice More to Leave Early
- *********************** Military Sexual Assault Update 05 ► 10% Jump Reported in 2017
- *********************** C-130 Fleet ► 33 of 43 Remain Grounded After 9 Months
- *********************** Military Enlistment Update 20 ► DHA Aware of Dependent MHR Concern
- *********************** Toxic Exposure | Peterson AFB ► PFC Tainted Water
- *********************** Military Food Stamps Update 04 ► Proposed Farm Bills Impact On Families
- Transplants ► First Ever Penis and Scrotum
- Sarcopenia ► Muscling In On Muscle Loss: DC Team Seeks New Ways To Detect, Treat It
- Tricare/CHAMPUS Fraud Update 18 ► $65M In Unnecessary Prescriptions
- Carl Lindblad
- Tricare/CHAMPUS Fraud Update 19 ► Ex-NFL Player Gets 22-Years
Did You Know (02) ► Items of Interest to Vets Do You Know About Other Compensations?
o-o-O-o-o- How to Rate a Mental Disorder When evaluating a veteran for a mental disorder, the rating agency shall consider the frequency, severity, and duration of psychiatric symptoms, the length of remissions, and the veteran’s capacity for adjustment during periods of remission. The rating agency shall assign an evaluation based on all the evidence of record that bears on occupational and social impairment rather than solely on the examiner’s assessment for the level of disability at the moment of the examination. Example: An examining psychologist must take into account the veteran’s entire psychological history that may have a determining factor on an accurate diagnosis. o-o-O-o-o- Horse Therapy for Veterans Hanging out with horses - not riding them, but just being in a barn, or arena or field with them - may have therapeutic value for people dealing with issues of all sorts. The nonprofit organization Reins of Change in rural Elgin, Illinois offers quality mental health services, personal growth and educational opportunities for people, utilizing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and the Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association (EAGALA) model. EAGALA is the leading international nonprofit association for professionals using equine therapy to address mental health and human development needs. Equine Specialists at Reins of Change work with mental health providers who specialize in particular areas. The organization provides services for eating disorders, anger management, self-injury, ADHD, addiction, anxiety disorders, depression, grief, OCD, PTSD, and other mental health issues. For more information, call 847-464-5177 or email: info@reinsofchange.com . [Source: http://www.veteranprograms.com/did-you-know3.html | USVCP | April 30, 2018 ++] *********************** Vet Fraud & Abuse ► Reported 16 thru 30 APR 2017 A Santa Fe couple accused of fleecing a decorated World War II veteran out of $340,000 while acting as his caretakers pleaded guilty 26 APR as part of an agreement that will allow them to avoid prison time if they do well on probation and make efforts to pay $120,496 in restitution. Dian Zeemin and Joseph Rosko each faced 26 criminal counts — 25 of them felonies — in connection to allegations that they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from former Army Staff Sgt. Dennis Ferk by obtaining about a dozen credit cards in the veteran’s name and in that of his late wife, cashing in some of his insurance polices and attempting to take out a loan on his home while working as his caretakers from 2010-15. Under the terms of the deal, each defendant admitted guilt on six of the 26 counts — including one count of exploitation of a resident’s property, a second-degree felony, and five counts of tax evasion, a fourth-degree felony. The remaining charges were dismissed. Zeemin and Rosko were sentenced by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to nine years in prison, but prison time was suspended on the condition they enter supervised probation and pay restitution. They’re also prohibited from being caretakers. Assistant District Attorney John Osborn said during the hearing that the deal was in the best interests of justice because it allowed the state to get convictions in the case while sparing Ferk — now 97 and in deteriorating health— the stress of having to go through a jury trial. Osborn said the state’s “biggest concern” was making sure Rosko, 64, and Zeemin, 70, would be classified as convicted felons “for the rest of their lives.” Ferk — who used to live in a home with a casita, where he allowed Rosko and Zeemin to reside — now shares a one-bedroom apartment in public housing with his disabled adult daughter. Ferk did not attend Thursday’s hearing. But his new guardian and longtime friend, Gilbert Martinez, said he was not happy with the outcome of the case. “I wanted jail time,” Martinez said, “but judges make those decisions.” District Attorney Marco Serna said he didn’t seek prison time for Zeemin and Rosko because neither had a criminal history and “neither showed they were violent or a danger to the public.” Serna said his office generally does not seek incarceration when it comes to “white-collar crime.” “We don’t believe that is going to rehabilitate anyone who is not a violent criminal,” he said. “I don’t want to send these people to prison if they are able to work and can pay restitution.” Serna said it also would have been difficult to prove all the charges against Zeemin and Rosko because of the multiple transactions involved and Ferk’s failing memory. “Given the circumstances,” Serna said, “I believe this is the most just outcome. These two individuals are guilty of second-degree felonies. That will be on their records, and they will pay restitution.” Zeemin’s defense attorney, Public Defender Hans Erikson, told the court the defendants have been “essentially homeless” since being charged two years ago. They had been living in an RV purchased with Ferk’s money, but since that was seized, they’ve been living in their truck and homeless shelters. Zeemin and Rosko “aren’t just indigent but are essentially destitute,” Erikson said. Erikson said he just wanted to make sure “everyone is aware the amount of restitution they are on the hook for is pretty pie-in-the-sky.” Sommer responded that the plea agreement requires Zeemin and Rosko to make payments toward restitution in order to stay out of prison. If they fail to pay, she added, they will be incarcerated. Sommer did not scold the defendants as judges sometimes do at sentencing — nor did Rosko or Zeemin offer any words of remorse or apology. Sommer did thank Martinez for taking over as Ferk’s champion and said she hoped resolving the case would provide some closure for a man who, Martinez said, received three Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars during his military service. [Source: The New Mexican | Phaedra Haywood | April 26, 2018 ++] *********************** State Veteran's Benefits & Discounts ► Texas 2018 The state of Texas provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these plus discounts listed on the Military and Veterans Discount Center (MCVDC) website, refer to the attachment to this Bulletin titled, “Vet State Benefits & Discounts – TX” for an overview of the below benefits. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each of the below benefits refer to http://www.tvc.state.tx.us & http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/texas-state-veterans-benefits.html
[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/texas-state-veterans-benefits.html | APR 2018 ++] ******************************************************************* Vet Residential Care ► H.R.5397 | Allow VA To Pay Vice Vet Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced The Veterans Residential Care Choice Act (H.R. 5397) a bill that would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay for eligible veterans to live at residential care facilities such as assisted living facilities licensed or certified by the State if the cost of care is lower than it would be at other care sites including VA hospitals, nursing care or community nursing home facilities. Currently, VA may help veterans find a residential care facility to live in, but veterans and their families have to pay for it. The bill would also require any facility receiving VA payments to enter into an agreement with VA to ensure the facilities are adequate to serve the needs of veterans. DAV Resolution 227 calls on Congress to expand the types of long-term care services and supports VA providing it to veterans with service-related disabilities. DAV believes H.R. 5397 would add to the continuum of service options available to meet the long-term care needs of eligible veterans and therefore supports this legislation. Readers are encouraged to use the prepared editable letter at Take Action to contact their representative and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 5397, the Veterans Residential Care Choice Act. [Source: DAV National Commander | April 16, 2018 ++] ********************** Transition Assistance Program Update 05 ► H.R.5553 | Requires DoD Action Plan Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) has introduced H.R. 5553, the Loya-Sears Warrior Transition Assistance Reform Act. Ryan Loya and Jeremy Sears were both Marine Corps Sergeants who served in combat together. Each suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the same IED explosion and were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress (PTS). Ryan is now living in New York City and successfully employed in a new career. Jeremy, however, has a different story. After his last deployment, he separated from the Marine Corps and struggled to find a job. After being unemployed for two years and suffering from survivor’s guilt, Jeremy died by suicide. This bill bears their names to call attention to the importance of our military transition assistance programs. The Act requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide an action plan to improve the DOD Transition Assistance Program (TAP) by mandating earlier pre-separation counseling, standardizing curriculum, increasing participation rates, and improving transition assistance resources. The bill also requires the development and measurement of long-term metrics to assess outcomes and provide continuous feedback to DOD transition assistance program managers, in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor. Congressman Bacon said, “Americans who volunteer to serve in the Armed Forces embody the best qualities of selfless-service, courage, integrity and commitment. By providing an effective transition from the military, we honor their service and make our communities stronger. Despite the progress we’ve made over the last decade, it’s clear that our warrior transition programs must be continuously improved to ensure every veteran can live a healthy and productive life after they take off the uniform.” Ryan Loya said, "While in the service, the priority is mission readiness. So, it falls on the Institution to set our service members up for success with the right resources and timeline. There is no other job in the world where you can become homeless and unemployed, all in one day. Jeremy was my brother. He unfortunately didn't get the transition services he needed and it ended up costing him his life. This could have been avoided. This legislation gives our military personnel the resources they deserve and rightfully earned through their selfless service." The Veterans of Foreign Wars recently endorsed H.R. 5553: “We know that it will take a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to reduce our Veteran suicides, unemployment and homelessness and this proposed Bill is a great step in the right direction. We must continue to improve programs that prepare our transitioning Service members and their families for life after the Military.” [Source: Press Release | Don Bacon | April 20, 2018 ++] ********************** Commissary Authorized Users ► H.R.5397 | Expand Eligibility Representatives Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) and Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced H.R. 5467, the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, which is endorsed by the VFW and would allow veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, veterans formerly held as prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers to use commissaries and MWR programs. Read the bill text. Currently, authorized users are limited to: 1. Active-duty Members of the Military -- Any active-duty member of any branch of the military, including Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force, is permitted to shop at any commissary in the United States. While active-duty members are also permitted to shop at international commissaries, the rules regarding bringing the items back to the United States vary, according to the DeCA, which also notes the commissary privilege is substantially restricted and will vary from country to country, depending on agreements with the host country. Active-duty members must show a valid and current military ID to shop in the commissaries, both in the United States and abroad. 2. Guard and Reserve Members -- Guard and reserve members are also permitted to shop in commissaries. This benefit encompasses any commissary in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, according to the DeCA. Any member of the Ready Reserve, Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and the Inactive National Guard are included in this benefit. 3. Retired and Disabled Individuals -- Members of the military who have retired retain their rights to shop at commissaries. This includes "gray area" retirees -- those who retired from the military but have not yet reached 60. These retirees have unlimited use of commissaries in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico; the rules overseas depend on agreements with host countries. Veterans who are 100 percent disabled in connection with their military service also have the right to shop at commissaries. 4. Medal of Honor Recipients -- Those who are discharged before service that continues through retirement do not retain their rights to shop at commissaries unless they have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor or are 100 percent disabled because of their service, according to DeCA. These individuals retain the right to make purchases at commissaries in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico. 5. Authorized Individuals -- Immediate family members of active-duty service members, reservists, retired members of the military, disabled individuals and those with a Medal of Honor are authorized to shop at commissaries with the appropriate ID. A named person, who may or may not be related to someone authorized to shop at the commissary, can shop for an authorized person with appropriate permission and identification, according to the Department of Defense. This can occur if the authorized person is disabled or otherwise can't shop for himself. In emergency situations, such as a natural disaster, the Department of Defense can authorize temporary access to commissaries for civilians in order to maintain quality of life. In many cases, diplomats and other persons serving at U.S. embassies overseas can shop at commissaries in the host country. [Source: https://classroom.synonym.com/who-is-eligible-to-use-a-commissary-12080107.html | April 20, 2018 ++] ********************** VA VR&E Program Update 02 ► H.R.5538 | Benefit Eligibility Revision On 17 APR, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) introduced the Reserve Component Vocational Rehabilitation Parity Act to extend Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reservists and guardsmen who are called to serve during times of war or national emergency. Under current law, the Department of Defense can authorize the involuntary activation of up to 60,000 troops for up to a year to support preplanned operations of a combatant commander per 12304b authority. However, reservists involuntarily mobilized under this law do not accrue service time to become eligible for all benefits. The bill would correct this inconsistency by extending vocational rehabilitation services, including career and academic guidance on using VA benefits to achieve career goals, to all servicemembers who deploy for preplanned missions. “Our veterans bravely answered the call to serve our nation and they have earned their full benefits,” said Rep. Peters. “These men and women all deserve our support as they begin their careers or go back to school, regardless of how and when they serve. We need to ensure guardsmen and reservists have the same opportunities as the rest of our veterans.” The Reserve Component Vocational Rehabilitation Parity Act is cosponsored by fellow House Veterans Affairs Committee members Ranking Member Rep. Tim Walz (MN-01), O&I Subcommittee Chairman Jack Bergman (MI-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Steven Palazzo (MS-04), Bruce Poliquin (ME-02), Beto O’Rourke (TX-16), and Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02). The bill is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States and the Reserve Officers Association. “Having served in and commanded the United States Marine Corps Reserves, I know first-hand the unique and vital role that our nation’s guardsmen and reservists hold in our military,” said Rep. Bergman. “This bill will provide parity to those who have served our country as a reservist or guardsman by offering the same vocational rehab benefits as active duty personnel, allowing them to prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment after their military service.” Rep. Walz said, “Service members who wear the same uniform and do the same job should get the same pay and the same benefits,”. “The Reserve Component Vocational Rehabilitation Parity Act is an important step in our work to ensure fairness for our Guard members and Reservists mobilized under 12304b authority.” “We need to ensure that our veterans have access to the benefits they have earned, as well as the resources to succeed after their service – including all National Guard Members and Reservists who bravely serve our country,” said Rep. Brownley. “The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program provides critical job training, and there is no reason all veterans with service-connected disabilities shouldn’t be able to benefit from it. I thank Congressman Peters for introducing this bill, which is an important step forward to support our Guard and Reserve members, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to lift the time limit altogether to benefit veterans of all ages.” [Source: Press Release | Scott Peters | April 18, 2018 ++] ********************** VA Hiring Update 12 ► H.R.5521 | Medical Personnel Trainee Recruitment The bipartisan bill H.R. 5521 would enable VA to recruit and initiate the hiring process for physicians two years prior to completing their requisite training. Such authority would put the department on equal footing with the private sector, said Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) who authored the bill. “America’s veterans deserve the best health care available,” Hartzler said. “We want to remove barriers the VA faces in hiring physicians to care for those who have served our country.” The measure is the latest in a series of potential and actual reforms to help VA trim its backlog of more than 30,000 positions. The department this year received direct-hire authority for 15 occupations deemed critical, ranging from accountants to health technicians. Lawmakers have recently sounded the alarm on policies they say restrict VA from efficiently filling vacancies at its medical facilities around the country, but the department has pushed back on those claims. Still, VA just this week boasted that it has trimmed its central office workforce by 10 percent. Democrats in Congress have warned that such reductions make it harder for field offices to recruit and hire, as the central office provides key human resource functions. Hartzler said her VA Hiring Enhancement Act bill, by boosting hiring efforts for internal medical positions, would also help allay concerns that VA is seeking to push more care to the private sector. The American Legion, which has long fought against privatization efforts, endorsed her bill. VA has said it has no intention of privatizing veterans health care, and former Secretary David Shulkin worked closely with lawmakers in both parties and key stakeholders to forge an acceptable framework to consolidate and streamline VA’s various community care programs. Shulkin’s nominated replacement, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, has yet to take a public stance on the topic, but told Tester on Tuesday he would follow the path Shulkin paved. [Source: GovExec.com | Eric Katz | April 17, 2018 ++] ********************** VA Medical Marijuana Update 45 ► H.R.5520 | Directs VA to Conduct/Support Research A bipartisan group of lawmakers are pushing to allow the Veterans Affairs Department to conduct research into medical marijuana, saying it could help former military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. The top lawmakers on the House Veterans Affairs Committee joined more than 30 colleagues in introducing the 2018 VA Medicinal Cannabis Act (H.R. 5520) on 17 APR. The introduction followed a pronouncement from the Trump administration that while VA was “committed to researching and developing ways to help” veterans cope with PTSD and chronic pain, federal law prevented it from engaging in any research—including referring patients to outside studies—involving medical marijuana. The measure would promote such research by clarifying it is “well within the authority of VA” and requiring the department to report to Congress on how it plans to exercise that authority. Lawmakers said they expected the bill would improve and save veterans’ lives. Members of both parties said they had heard from veterans who praised the benefits of medical cannabis, especially compared to the opioids they had been prescribed. “While we know cannabis can have life-saving effects on veterans suffering from chronic pain or PTSD, there has been a severe lack of research studying the full effect of medicinal cannabis on these veterans,” said Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), the ranking member of the House VA committee and the author of the bill. “Simply put, there is no department or organization better suited to conduct this critically important research than VA, and there will never be a better time to act.”
The Trump administration has shown some openness to medical marijuana, with the Veterans Health Administration issuing a directive late last year to allow its doctors to discuss their patients’ use and options regarding cannabis in states where it is legal. The department has previously faced criticism for preventing its medical staff from recommending patients to a state-funded research project that has the backing of several federal agencies and is examining the relationship between disorders affecting veterans and marijuana. Brad Burge, a spokesman for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, the organization conducting the study, said previous resistance from VA was based on “stigma, not law” and it was therefore unclear to what extent the bill would help MAPS’ research. The bill’s language to not just conduct but “support” cannabis research should, if the measure were passed, “make it resoundingly clear—even to the VA secretary—that there is nothing preventing VA from referring patients to independent federally regulated medical marijuana studies,” Burge said. [Source: GovExec.com | Eric Katz | April 17, 2018 ++] ********************** GI Bill Update 254 ► H.R.4830 | Eliminate Student Unpaid Fee Balance Problems When Kaanan Fugler transferred to a new college last year, she didn’t expect to rack up $6,000 in student loans for tuition costs she thought would be fully paid for. But when her education benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department weren’t paid to her new school before the semester started, the Army widow and mother of five said the university’s financial aid office told her she had to foot the bill — or risk being dropped from her courses. “We get penalized because it’s not set in stone that (schools) have to allow us to go to school while they wait for that money,” Fugler said in a recent interview. “It is not the fault of the veteran,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) speaking to fellow members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs at a recent hearing on Capitol Hill. “They don’t need that extra stress.” The congressman recently introduced a bill, dubbed the SIT-REP Act, that would require schools to adopt a policy stating they will not deny access to classes or facilities, impose late fees, or make students pay out-of-pocket because of an unpaid balance ― if a student has provided a certificate of eligibility for VA benefits. The legislation would apply to VA benefits paid directly to the school, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Fry Scholarship for surviving dependents, such as Fugler, who used the benefit before she remarried last fall. Barring a waiver from the VA secretary, schools that don’t adopt this policy would be ineligible to enroll students using such benefits. The legislation, which Bilirakis called a “common sense” measure, has garnered the support of House representatives from both parties and veteran service organizations, including American Legion, Student Veterans of America and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Though SIT-REP currently has no Senate companion, many view the legislation as an easy sell, as there are no associated costs. “We agree with Congressman Bilirakis that veterans don’t need that kind of treatment, especially when they know the VA is going to pay,” said retired Maj. Gen. Robert Worley, VA director of education service. Payment deadlines differ by school, and many institutions don’t certify GI Bill payments until after the drop-add period — an approach the VA supports because it cuts down on the number of corrective payments the department would have to make if a student’s course load changes, Worley said. “But, (if) the school is going to then impose penalties and things like that on individuals, obviously that’s not a good thing,” he said. “Those are school policies. We don’t control the schools.” VA education benefit claims are categorized as either original claims, requested by a student for the first time, or supplemental claims, which are for continuing benefit usage after the approval of an original claim. According to a VA spokesperson, the department processed more than 340,000 original claims and over 3 million supplemental claims for GI Bill benefits last year. The initial claims took an average of 25.76 days to process, and supplemental claims took an average of 9.38 days — both lower than the VA’s goals of 28 days for initial claims and 14 days for supplemental claims for fiscal 2018. It’s difficult to determine just how common it is for schools to penalize students whose VA payments don’t come in by their deadline. According to a recent Military Times survey of more than 600 colleges and universities, a large majority of respondents said they have policies for students whose VA or Defense Department education benefits are delayed, protecting these students for late fees or dropped classes for an unpaid balance. Ashlynne Haycock, deputy director of policy and legislation at TAPS, the organization leading advocacy efforts in favor of SIT-REP, said in some cases, penalizing GI Bill students is a one-off. But at other campuses, it’s a systemic issue. In her testimony to Congress, Haycock gave multiple examples of students her organization has helped after their schools told them to take out student loans, sign up for payment plans or pay late fees while waiting on their benefits to come in. “These students did everything by the book,” she said. “They applied for and received a certificate of eligibility (COE). They provided that COE to the school certifying official with proof of enrollment on time, yet they were still penalized because of unfair institutional policies.” And this could get worse come August if VA payments are delayed as the department rolls out several changes to the GI Bill going into effect this fall, she said. Fugler said her daughter, also a Fry Scholarship recipient, was removed from classes she had already registered for when her benefits did not arrive until after the semester started. She had to start on an accelerated schedule in February after her balance was paid. The widow’s new husband, a disabled veteran, also had to take out student loans to cover the cost of his schooling before his GI Bill benefits were paid to his school, she said. Now the family is worried about the interest that will accrue on those loans before they can be repaid. “These benefits are supposed to be our guarantee to not have to deal with all the student loans and nonsense that goes along with them, yet every single person in my household has had to take out student loans while using these benefits,” Fugler said. Haycock told Military Times, “Sometimes I think it’s the smaller schools that don’t necessarily know the VA policies well enough to feel comfortable waiting for the money, and so having something in statute that says that money is coming and something for us to refer back to would make it a lot easier for our families.” The SIT-REP legislation is awaiting approval from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, as well as the full House and Senate. As of 16 APR, a date for further committee action on the bill had not yet been set, according to a committee spokeswoman. But Bilirakis’ message to his colleagues at the hearing was urgent: “Let’s take care of this as soon as possible.” [Source: MilitaryTimes | Natalie Gross | April 16, 2018 ++] ***********************__Toxic_Exposure_|_Peterson_AFB_►_PFC_Tainted_Water'>***********************__Military_Enlistment_Update_20_►_DHA_Aware_of_Dependent_MHR_Concern'>***********************__C-130_Fleet_►_33_of_43_Remain_Grounded_After_9_Months'>***********************__Military_Sexual_Assault_Update_05_►_10%_Jump_Reported_in_2017'>**************************************************************
Those in the Army, Air Force and Navy must take action only if they want to opt in to the BRS. The Marine Corps is the only service that requires its members to register their decision regardless of whether they choose the new system or want to stay in the legacy system. Of the Marines eligible to make the decision, 28.4 percent have done so, with 72 percent of those Marines choosing the BRS. DoD “has no target or goal for opt-in and no preference for which system a member should choose,” Eastburn said. “Each member’s decision will depend entirely upon his or her own personal circumstances.” Under the BRS, troops automatically get a contribution from DoD of 1 percent of their monthly base pay to their Thrift Savings Plan, and up to 5 percent in matching contributions. The services will also make a one-time payout of continuation pay to those under BRS when they reach 12 years of service. For active duty members, it’s 2.5 times their monthly basic pay. The services have flexibility in determining the amount and some terms of the continuation pay. “How we manage that continuation pay will be critical,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Karen Jowers | April 14, 2018 ++] *********************** Military Sexual Assault Update 05 ► 10% Jump Reported in 2017 U.S. officials say reports of sexual assaults across the military jumped by nearly 10 percent in 2017, a year that saw a massive online nude-photo sharing scandal rock the services, triggering greater awareness of sexual harassment and other similar complaints. The overall increase was fueled by a nearly 15-percent surge in sexual assault reports in the Marine Corps, according to officials familiar with the data. The Marines were at the center of last year’s online investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and launched a large public campaign to raise awareness of inappropriate behavior and beef up enforcement of social media rules and conduct. The Navy and the Air Force saw increases of more than 9 percent in reported sexual assaults, while the Army went up 8 percent. Several U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details ahead of the public release of the Pentagon’s annual report. Overall, there were 6,769 reports of sexual assaults in the fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30, compared to 6,172 in 2016. The roughly 10 percent hike is the largest increase the Pentagon has seen since 2015. Last year, an anonymous survey done as part of the annual report showed some progress in fighting sexual assault, as fewer than 15,000 service members described themselves as victims of unwanted sexual contact. That was 4,000 fewer than in a 2014 survey and a dramatic decline from the 26,000 in the 2012 survey. The surveys are conducted every other year, so it’s impossible to determine if this year’s increase in reported assaults also corresponds with a decline in service members anonymously reporting inappropriate conduct. Defense officials have argued that an increase in reported assaults is a positive trend, because it’s a highly underreported crime, both in the military and across society as a whole. Greater reporting, they argue, shows there is more confidence in the reporting system and greater comfort with the support for victims. It’s unclear, however, if the increased reports in 2017 actually represent a growing problem or if victims are just more willing to come forward. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the depth of the problem, the Pentagon has used the anonymous surveys for several years to track sexual assaults, harassment and other similar issues. According to several U.S. officials, the number of reported assaults in the Marine Corp increased from 870 in 2016, to 998 last year, while Navy reports went from 1,450 to 1,585. The nude-photo sharing scandal came to light early last year, when nude photographs of female Marines, veterans from across the military, and other women were shared on the Facebook page “Marines United.” Accompanying comments and posts under some photos included obscene and threatening comments. The photos showed women in various stages of undress, and some were identified and others were not. The site was touted as being for men only. After months of investigation, NCIS determined that the overwhelming majority of the photos were selfies or were posed for and then voluntarily shared, which is not illegal even under military code. As a result, only a small number of military members faced charges or discipline for their participation on the website. [Source: Associated Press | Lolita C. Baldor | April 25, 2018 ++] *********************** C-130 Fleet ► 33 of 43 Remain Grounded After 9 Months Nearly a year after the fiery crash of a Marine Corps Forces Reserve KC-130T killed 15 Marines and a Navy corpsman, most of the Navy’s C-130 fleet remains grounded due to lack of new propellers, impacting one of the service’s sole capabilities for transporting people and gear, according to U.S. lawmakers and service officials. A propeller problem was identified during inspections of the fleet that occurred after the July 10, 2017 crash in Mississippi, when most Navy and Marine Corps C-130Ts and KC-130Ts stopped flying. Only 10 of the 43 C-130s in the fleet are currently available for operations, according to Greg Kuntz, a spokesman for Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR. As those aircraft sat grounded and Naval Reserve’s lift capability diminished as a result, the sea service initially opted to place new propeller funding on an unfunded priorities list. That was rectified in March, when the propellers were funded via a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress. Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns said the 12 remaining Marine Reserve KC-130Ts are no longer grounded, and that the squadron conducted its first flight in October, a few months after the crash. “Some of them are flying,” Kuntz said. “We are bringing them back online as they are needed operationally.” Kuntz declined to say why some C-130 variants can fly today while others are still grounded. Following last summer’s crash, which pancaked the aircraft upside down and left it broken in two, scattering debris for miles, Kuntz said most Navy and Marine Corps C-130Ts and KC-130Ts stopped flying immediately. NAVAIR issued a grounding bulletin on Sept. 1, 2017, “as a precaution based on the preliminary engineering investigation,” he said. During inspections after the grounding, a propeller issue “was one of the things identified,” Kuntz said. “It is not tied directly to that incident,” Kuntz said. “It was identified during the inspection that these needed to be replaced.” The new propellers had been considered before the July crash, he said, and are “now the most expedient option to return the C-130T aircraft to the fleet.” “It’s not uncommon after an incident to do a program-wide look at the aircraft,” Kuntz said. “If you were to identify something, such as the propellers, you would focus on what the solution was.” Marine Corps officials declined to comment on the cause of last summer’s crash, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing commander Brig. Gen. Bradley James said after the crash that the mishap began while the plane was at cruising altitude. The Associated Press reported in August that some witnesses described the plane descending in a “flat spin,” where the plane twirls around like a boomerang. The wire service quoted a local named Andy Jones, who said he saw the plane corkscrewing downward with an engine smoking. “You looked up and you saw the plane twirling around,” he was quoted as saying. “It was spinning down.” Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 flew the legacy KC-130T on the day of the crash, an aircraft that is being phased out for the new KC-130J variant. “The current fleet of C-130s has a long history of safe operations supporting Navy and Marine objectives with the current propellers,” Kuntz said. As the C-130s sat grounded, the new propeller project was initially placed on the Navy’s unfunded priorities list, Kuntz said. That list lays out programs the Navy wishes to see bankrolled if more money was available from Congress. But the initiative was recently moved to the Fiscal 2018 budget and is now funded via the massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in March. Why the Navy did not initially prioritize funding the new propellers to get the C-130 fleet flying again remains unclear. Kuntz said “probably multiple reasons” factored into the new props not being a funding priority for the Navy. “It was really obvious when the funding became available, and we got the omnibus, that they were included,” he said. “We worked very hard to make that happen.” South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee chair, questioned the head of Navy Reserve, Vice Adm. Luke McCollum in March about how the lack of propeller money and C-130 grounding was affecting Navy readiness. Navy Reserve “provides 100 percent of the inter-theater lift for the Navy,” McCollum told the subcommittee. “Said another way, boxes, people, crews, parts, have to be sourced and delivered around the globe,” he said. “The capability that resides in a Navy Reserve that delivers this is in the C-40 Alpha and C-130 Tango.” The grounding of the C-130Ts had led to a 42 percent loss of that capability, McCollum said, adding that it was “highly important” that the C-130T propellers get upgraded. “The demand signal for Navy Reserve in this capacity is very high,” he said. The new propellers cost $2.7 million per kit and take a month to install. The Navy intends to replace propellers for all 43 aircraft in fleet, Kuntz said. “The Navy has an aggressive schedule that could have the first aircraft with these new propellers returned to service in the fall and have the entire fleet back to service by Spring 2019,” Kuntz said. The new propellers will offer increased thrust at the same engine torque, he said. Navy and Marine Corps C-130T fleet age varies from 21 to 34 years, Kuntz said. “Propellers, like other parts of the aircraft, are routinely inspected and replaced (in accordance with) maintenance procedures when required,” he said. [Source: NavyTimes | Geoff Ziezulewicz | April 26, 2018 ++] *********************** Military Enlistment Update 20 ► DHA Aware of Dependent MHR Concern The director of the Defense Health Agency said she is aware of concerns that have been expressed about the health care military children have received, and whether it “shows up” when they’re trying to enter the military. “We need to look at that … because, for me, I don’t want to deny somebody the care that they need,” Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono said 19 APR during a leadership breakfast hosted by the National Military Family Association. “At the same time, I know it’s extremely important that we document everyone’s care so that we can give that comprehensive service and support to their health care,” Information was not immediately available about whether Defense Department officials have taken steps to address the issue. A defense health spokesman said previously that the practice of combining the records has been in effect since 2004, when an electronic medical records system was implemented, but the policy was put into place in 2010. Military Times has reported on the service branches’ practice of combining the electronic medical records of military children with their active-duty medical treatment record, when they join the military, giving their military medical providers access to those prior records. The services don’t have that access to records of recruits from civilian families. One Army major’s daughter was forced out of Air Force basic training because of notations in her medical record that she and her parents weren’t aware of, related to counseling she’d received to help her cope with her frequent moves, and her father’s deployments. She was denied a waiver by the Air Force to re-enter, despite multiple clean bills of health from civilian and DoD behavioral health providers. Her younger sister has been denied a waiver to enlist in the Army, also because of notations in her dependent medical record — and also despite multiple clean bills of health. Bono made the comments in response to a question about what she sees as the biggest challenge for military children today, given that a number of future service members are children of today’s service members. Bono said DoD health officials pay close attention to this fact in determining how to position themselves to be responsive in the future.“About 30 percent of our family members end up being part of the military down the road,” Bono said. “How do we make sure all of our family members are positioned with their health, and the care they receive in our system, to pursue what they need either in the military or elsewhere?” Military Times has received a number of responses from families who have said their children were forced out of the military because of issues noted in their dependent medical records. Defense and service officials have encouraged service members and families to seek help, and constantly say they won’t be punished for doing so. But Army Maj. Rudy De La Rosa said that in his case and those of and other military parents, “our children are not protected. We are not told that DoD clinicians are building their permanent military health record that will follow them their whole lives.” [Source: MilitaryTimes | Karen Jowers | April 20, 2018 ++] *********************** Toxic Exposure | Peterson AFB ► PFC Tainted Water The U.S. military has agreed to spend more than $900,000 to buy water and take other steps for Colorado communities where wells were tainted by chemicals from nearby Peterson Air Force Base. The Gazette reported 18 APR the Air Force will purchase clean drinking water and pay for operating and maintaining filter systems. Compounds called PFCs were found in well water in three utility systems serving about 69,000 people in the city of Fountain and an unincorporated community called Security-Widefield. PFCs have been linked to cancer and other problems, and levels found in the Colorado communities exceeded the federal government’s recommended limits. PFCs were a component of firefighting foam. The military confirmed in 2017 the chemicals found in the Colorado wells came from Peterson Air Force Base. [Source: The Associated Press | April 18, 2018 ++] *********************** Military Food Stamps Update 04 ► Proposed Farm Bill's Impact On Families Tens of thousands of military families nationwide experienced food insecurity last year, and yet the new Farm Bill will make it more difficult for these families to get relief. U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, (R-TX) released a video at https://youtu.be/hLIsOJ5uPiY about the 2018 Farm Bill that ends with an echoing proclamation that, "we must get this policy right." It's hard to see how his draft of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 even comes close to achieving that goal. Instead, this bill includes proposals and provisions that threaten to pull the rug out from under millions of Americans, among them thousands of currently serving members of our nation's armed forces. It is a harsh, underreported reality that far too many lower-ranking enlistees need help feeding their families. Military families may experience food insecurity because of financial emergencies, low pay, and crises levels of chronic unemployment or underemployment of military spouses in a society where most families need dual incomes to live. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of Agriculture tracks this issue specifically, but we do have ample evidence that hunger among military families is a problem.
Low-income American families who meet prescribed eligibility criteria can get assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, the cornerstone program of our federal nutrition safety net. But because of a glitch in existing law, far too many of the men and women who bravely serve our nation don't qualify for this vital program. Chairman Conaway could have fixed this technical error by advancing the common-sense solution provided in bipartisan bills H.R. 1078 & S. 2488 that have been introduced by U.S. Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) and Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tom Udall (D-NM) These bills exclude a service member's Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from counting as income when determining eligibility for federal nutrition assistance benefits -- a straightforward solution that would help thousands of low-income military families put food on the table. Instead, he chose to confuse the issue by excluding only the first $500 of a service member's BAH from counting as income for SNAP eligibility determination. It's already challenging enough for struggling military families to navigate the existing patchwork of perplexing eligibility criteria when applying for desperately needed benefits. If Chairman Conaway really wanted to prevent hunger among military families, he would simplify the rules and establish consistency across different program eligibility criteria so that military families do not have to jump through hoops to get the help they need. Instead, he has perpetuated a confusing situation without fully resolving this unacceptable problem that military families needlessly endure. What also remains unclear, even to the advocates who have been on the front lines of the effort to fix this issue, is how he arrived at this arbitrary amount. How many military families does he suggest will be helped by this $500 income exclusion? And just as important: how many will still be left behind? We can all agree that no one -- especially military families that sacrifice so much for our country -- should struggle to put food on the table. We have an opportunity in the Farm Bill to advance bipartisan solutions to make even greater progress in the effort to end hunger in this country. Sadly, the partisan farm bill proposed by Chairman Conaway gets the policy on SNAP so very wrong and would make the problem of hunger worse. It's time to stop playing politics with real people's lives. We need to get this policy right. [Source: Military.com | Abby J. Leibman & Kathy Roth-Douquet | April 18, 2018 ++] ********************** Transplants ► First Ever Penis and Scrotum A veteran who had his genitals blown off in an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan made history last month by becoming the world’s first recipient of a full penis and scrotum transplant. Nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, completed the transplant after a meticulous 14-hour procedure, a hospital release said. The parts, which also included a portion of the abdominal wall, came from a deceased donor. “We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man,” Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee, director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in the release. The patient, who asked not to be identified, is expected to be released from the hospital this week. A single section from the donor’s lower abdomen was removed containing skin, muscles, tendons, bone, blood vessels and nerves. The section measured 10 inches by 11 inches and weighed about five pounds, the New York Times reported. Johns Hopkins funded the operation, which Lee estimated to cost between $300,000 and $400,000, the report said. All of the surgeons performed the procedure for free. Sarcopenia ► Muscling In On Muscle Loss: DC Team Seeks New Ways To Detect, Treat It You’re at the gym, doing a bench press. You push up, raising the barbell—that’s the “concentric” phrase. Now you ease the weight down toward your chest—that’s what exercise physiologists call the “eccentric” phase. (That’s pronounced “ee-centric.” Not “eck-centric,” like a millionaire who wears old, rumpled clothes and leaves all his worldly possessions to his cats.) VA’s Dr. Michael Harris-Love is a believer in the benefits of this particular form of physical exertion—eccentric exercise, aka negative work training. Google the term and you’ll find lots of sites devoted to elite athletes with chiseled physiques and bulging muscles. Harris-Love, with the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center and George Washington University, is developing and testing programs that make specific use of eccentric training to help Veterans and others with a range of ailments and health challenges—including the frail elderly. One health problem in his crosshairs is sarcopenia: the gradual drop in muscle mass, strength and function that comes with aging. Strength training and good nutrition can help prevent sarcopenia. Harris-Love asserts that eccentric training may be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to stopping or slowing the condition. “We want to look at muscle health in a way that is less costly, more efficient and more comprehensive.” The investigator, who was a weightlifter himself before going on to become an exercise physiologist, physical therapist and health science researcher, explains that eccentric training can offer more bang for the buck: It can work the muscles with less stress on the heart, compared with conventional strength training. What’s interesting about lengthening contractions — during the eccentric phase of an exercise, the muscles lengthen — is that they place lower metabolic demands on the body. They use less oxygen for the same amount of energy. You tend to be 20 to 35 percent stronger eccentrically than concentrically, and there’s less cardiovascular demand. So for some infirm populations, light eccentrics might be useful because it’s less demanding on the heart.” Harris-Love’s team is now looking at data from a study they did with people who had knee arthritis. “It’s a paradox,” he says. “Eccentrics has this reputation of huge muscle forces, and there are some risks for athletes for who may train this way. But here was this [older] population that was able to do it lightly and get some benefit out of it, despite having some physical limitations.” To learn more about the study, visit VA Research Currents at https://www.research.va.gov/currents/0418-muscling-in-on-muscle-loss.cfm. [Source: VAntage Point | Mitch Merkin | April 24, 2018 ++] *********************** Tricare/CHAMPUS Fraud Update 18 ► $65M In Unnecessary Prescriptions Two physicians from Cleveland, Tenn., have admitted to cheating the military's health care program, TRICARE, out of more than $65 million by writing thousands of expensive, unnecessary prescriptions to patients they never examined. In a San Diego federal court last week, Dr. Carl Lindblad and Dr. Susan Vergot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their operations at Choice MD, a walk-in clinic on Candies Creek Ridge Road. The two doctors worked with a team of co-conspirators to obtain patient information from TRICARE-enrolled Marines and their families — mostly from the San Diego area — and write prescriptions for costly, custom-made drugs to those individuals, according to a news release from the Southern California U.S. Attorney's Office. The case is one of several across the country concerning TRICARE and specialty drugs known as compounded medications, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which first reported on the investigation. When a physician determines an existing drug won't work for a particular patient, such as in the case of an allergy or special dosage, a pharmacist can compound a medication to meet the individual's medical needs. The Union-Tribune reported that in early 2015, the costs of claims to TRICARE for compounded drugs surged to more than $1 billion and pointed investigators to a pharmacy in Utah issuing prescriptions to patients in Southern California. Most of those prescriptions were authorized by Lindblad and Vergot who practiced in Tennessee at Choice MD. Once signed by the doctors, those prescriptions weren't given to the beneficiaries, but sent directly to particular pharmacies controlled by co-conspirators, which filled the prescriptions and billed TRICARE at exorbitant prices, according to the news release from the U.S. attorney. Lindblad and Vergot represent the fifth and sixth defendants charged in relation to the scheme, and their sentencings are scheduled for 29 JUN. Jimmy and Ashley Collins, the owners of Choice MD, were indicted in March on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and illegal payments of remunerations. That case remains pending. [Source: Times Free Press | Elizabeth Fite | April 16, 2018 ++] ***********************
From 2014 to 2015, Grow and his network of hired sales representatives referred hundreds of TRICARE patients to PCA, a Broward County pharmacy, according to Grow's indictment. "Evidence at trial established that Grow targeted Tricare beneficiaries and induced them to order expensive drugs they did not need by paying them either directly for their own prescriptions or indirectly for those of their family and friends," a Department of Justice news release said. Also named as part of Grow’s scheme, among others, was his former University of Florida teammate, 47-year-old Shane Matthews, who was paid $440,000 to connect Grow’s reps with TRICARE patients. Matthews, who also played for several NFL teams during his 14-year career, was sentenced earlier in February to three months in prison for his role. Grow played two NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs. From 1989 until 1993 he was a linebacker for the Florida Gators. [Source: The Associated Press | April 18, 2018 ++] ***********************
“We are so thankful to say that our loved one would be proud and honored to know he provided such a special gift to you,” the statement read. “As a family, we are very supportive of all the men and women who serve our country and grateful for the job you did for this nation. Please know that this is truly a heartfelt statement. ... We hope you can return to better health very soon, and we continue to wish you a speedy recovery.” So far, the recovery has gone as hoped. So, what’s next for the soldier? He plans on attending medical school and possibly settling down into a relationship. “Just that normal stuff,” he said. No matter what he decides, he’ll now be able to do “that normal stuff” feeling like a new man. “I feel whole again.” [Source: ArmyTimes | : J.D. Simkins | April 23, 2018 ++] *********************** Yüklə 387,46 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|